Nintendo Wii U shows its game face

What do you do when you’ve changed the face of gaming as often as Nintendo has? Do it again, of course. At the world’s hottest gaming show, E3, Ninty’s just ripped the wraps off the Wii U – the HD console it claims is the future of home gaming.

The console itself resembles nothing so much as a well-fed Wii: white and bloated. But the controller has a 6.2-inch touchscreen, motion control and a plethora of buttonry for thumb junkies. There’s also a front-facing camera and when your sister wants to watch The Only Way Is Essex, you can bring your gameplay onto the controller's screen, freeing up the TV for her fix of post-reality broadcasting.

Talking of games, Nintendo’s announced some unusually heavyweight partners for the Wii U. Expect the likes of DiRT, Ghost Recon, Tekken, Ninja Gaiden and Assassin’s Creed to be lining up alongside it for launch. And the launch date? Bad news for the impatient – the Wii U won’t be out until 2012. Deep breaths, now.